Ryanair hits out as airport numbers decrease

PASSENGER numbers at Dublin Airport are likely to be down by as much as 300,000 last month compared with June last year.

Although the airport has yet to release passenger numbers for June, Ryanair estimates that traffic is down 14% compared with the same month last year.

Ryanair said it believes Ireland’s traffic and tourism decline is a direct result of the Government’s €10 tourist tax and high passenger charges at Dublin airport.

However, a Dublin Airport spokesman said the airport charges are among the lowest in Europe and have come down 30% in the past 20 years.

The falling figures prompted Ryanair to yet again call on the Government to scrap the tourist taxes and reduce airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said: “The Irish Government should now follow the example of the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments and stop taxing tourists and start welcoming them.

“Ryanair has already announced the removal of two more aircraft from Dublin and Shannon this winter and Irish traffic, tourism and job losses will continue to collapse if the Government’s €10 tourist tax is not scrapped.”

Airlines are battling against the worst economic climate in years.

Just this week, Aer Lingus announced that long-haul passenger numbers plunged more than 14% over the last year.

Aer Lingus has suspended Shannon flights to Chicago from September 1 and services from Dublin to Washington and San Francisco from October 25.

Ryanair meanwhile, announced this week it is now twice the size of British Airways after carrying twice the worldwide traffic of BA in June.